True Love
by Alice Arclight
Summary: Just a little holiday Fluff.


**True Love**

* * *

It Had Come to This. She punched him hard in the face. She was relentless. She didn't want to do this, but he left her no alternative.

"Okay," he said backpedalling away from her. "What are we playing for again?"

"If I win," she began while following him to the edge of the ropes. "You consider my offer."

"Two falls out of three, huh?" he laughed

She leapt at him in and made a feint that looked like a forward kick to the head. He ducked under as she flew over, but that was just as she had anticipated. She twisted in mid air and, with her arms and wings, grasped a hold of him from behind. Then, planting her feet firmly on the ground, she arched her back and lifted him off the surface. With a thud she slammed him back onto the canvas of the ring floor. It was perfectly executed. John had taken the first fall.

"That's one," she said. She put out her hand to help him up. A self-satisfied smile curved her lovely features.

"Ah…haha! Very clever. You fooled me." John rubbed his head. "You went for a wrestling move. That kick was a set-up…to bring me down with Judo-kan. You knew I wouldn't be expecting that."

"You'll never land a punch on me," she goaded. She smiled. She let her guard down. "I'm too fast. You can't surprise me. You…"

Without warning he launched a left uppercut that caught her solidly under the chin. It all but lifted her out of her socks. She fell backwards unconscious, but John managed to catch her before her head hit the ground.

"Shayera!"

"Owwwwww!" she said coming gradually back to consciousness. "What happened?"

She could see Diana and John coming into blurry focus.

"You got knocked out," explained Diana. "That's one to you, John. Next one takes it."

"Wait wait…" John said shaking his head. "I'm finished. I don't want to do this anymore."

"If you quit…you forfeit," Diana said matter-of-factly. "And Shayera wins by default."

"I could have killed her!" John said in anguish. "I didn't mean too…I thought she was going to see it coming and not take all of it. I didn't think I would completely connect!"

"It's okay, John. Really. She wanted you to do it," Diana admitted. Wonder Woman felt bad seeing the pained expression on John's face.

"No…no…"John watched carefully as the light returned to Shayera's dark green eyes. He stroked her hair as she sat back up. "Are you okay?"

"Yes. It's okay, honey." She smiled. "I hope we are even now."

John looked from Shayera to Diana…who was now kneeling with them on the floor.

"Ohhhh… You mean…?" asked John as the other shoe finally dropped for him. "This is all about the time you sucker punched me during your people's invasion?"

There was a time when him using the phrase 'your people' would have hurt her…but she was beyond all that now.

"Well, that's not all this is about," she confessed. "But I wanted to let you hit me with anger. I saw it coming. Please don't feel bad. I want you to let it out."

John was, as they say in old literature, nonplussed. He was confused and a little shaken…but he was also too relieved that Shayera was unhurt and smiling.

"What is it that you want?" he asked helplessly. He knelt on the ground like Diana examining Shayera as if she were a delicate crystal flower he had dropped on the ground but for some reason had not shattered. He was feeling guilty, pleased, but bewildered all at the same time.

"I love you," she took a deep breath and looked up at him with depth and genuineness in her green irises. "I just wanted to say…'I love you'. …and let you know, I always have."

The sincerity and passion with which she said all that caught John off guard. He had to glance away from her. His eyes landed on Diana whose brilliant blue orbs pierced his consciousness with their glaring conviction. He knew the princess of Themyscira was insisting silently but lovingly that he deal honestly with her and Shayera…their old friend.

"You are the only one left," Diana said. "All the rest of us have forgiven her. Even Bruce. It's like we have her back. It's even better. Now we just want you to…"

"But, I have forgiven her," John interrupted.

"Then why are you marrying, Vixen?" Shayera pleaded.

John did not even realize it himself…how long it was taking to respond.

"I love her?" he hadn't meant it to come out as a question, but it hung there in the air as such.

"John?" Diana asked. "Look at Shayera."

John did as he was told.

"Tell her how Mari is better…or how you love Mari more…" Diana insisted. "…In any way."

It didn't take a rocket scientist to know John Stewart was left with only **one** thing.

"She has never lied to me," he said plainly.

Shayera wasted no time contesting the undeniability of that statement

"Yes…this true." Shayera got up and set herself down on her knees right in front him. She bowed her head before him in the Thanagarian fashion.

"John. I will never lie to you again," she began. "I am sorry. I thought I wanted nothing more than to serve the Thanagarian Empire. I thought it was my highest calling. I was promised to marry another man. I thought he was the best I could do. I came to your world…and I found it tantalizing. Then I met you…and everything changed. I was praying for my people to come soon, because my universe was upside down. I wished for them to take me away before I did something stupid…like ask you to ask me to marry you. I did not think there was a place for us. I thought we were starcrossed lovers.

"I am sorry that I have waited until you were close to your wedding to another woman, but I had to go back to my home world to liberate it from the Gordanian oppression…now that it is done and I have redeemed myself in front of all of Thanagar. My people and family are now safe. I came back and asked the World Council to stand in judgment of me for my espionage crimes…and I am fortunate that I have been voted absolved of my previous deceptions and actions, and have even been granted permanent citizenship on Earth.

"I made a big mistake when I didn't explain everything to you from the very first day we met. Culturally I didn't know how to tell you. I was afraid and confused. Almost from the day that we met, I've always wanted you. I would dream of you at night. Sometimes I couldn't see your face, but I knew your voice. I KNEW you were the one. And you are the only man I have ever…loved. You have changed who I am, and what I expect out of life.

"If I thought you would forever be happy, I would go away. But, I feel that you feel the same way about me as I do about you. That would mean that you are running to her to get away from me.

"If you had said 'I love her more than you' I would give you up, but even if you said it with your mouth I know you wouldn't believe it in your heart.

"John, I am willing to do whatever it takes to make it up to you. Even if it takes the rest of my life. Please consent to be mine again and I will love you and serve you all the rest of my days.

She looked up at him. The effect her gaze had always had on him was affecting him once again. She had to be the most beautiful woman in the world to him. If she had said nothing…the affect would have been no less. It was absolutely unfair. His heart was breaking. But to be a superhero, meant he had to fight and do the honorable thing…at least try. It was his code of integrity. He could not think of any other reason to do something that he so much did not want to do.

"I'm sorry. I already proposed to Mari."

John pushed her away. He stood up. He walked to the edge of the ring. His hand reached out to swing over the ropes.

He paused

He fell to the floor.

"I don't know what to do…"

"Follow your heart."

"Shit…" he cursed. "What do I tell Mari?"

Shayera flew into his arms. They embraced as if it were the first time they had seen each other in a millennium.

Diana leapt up with joy

"Just tell her," Diana said. "You can't fight true love."

He held her head and looked at her face. A face that was indelibly imprinted on his heart in a way he couldn't understand. He repeated Diana's words.

"We've got true love?" he said affirmatively unable to take his eyes off of her.

"True love forever…" she whispered as their lips met.


End file.
